Automatic lift for cotton presses



2 Sheets-Sheet l T. S. GRIMES AUTOMATIC LIFT FOR COTTON PRESSES Filed Nov. 4, 1936 WIN Sept. 5, 1939.

Sept. 5, 1939. T. s. GRIMES 2,171,724 v AUTOMATIC LIFT FOR COTTON PRESSES Filed NOV. 4, 1936 2 Sheets-511831;?

Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC LIFT FOR COTTON PRESSES Application November 4, 1936, Serial No. 109,153

4 Claims.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application resides in mechanism for normally and yieldingly maintaining the press boxes of cotton presses raised from the bottom sills, in position for rotation about the pivot rod of the press to bring either box under the hydraulic ram for compressing the bale therein.

In prior presses where the boxes are raised and lowered by hand lifts, the boxes are locked in the raised position for rotation about the central pivot rod, and must be lowered onto the sills of the press before applying pressure to the bale in the box directly under the ram. If the lifting mechanism should not be strong enough to hold the boxes in raised and locked position, the said lifting mechanism would be damaged when pressure is applied by the ram. On the other hand, if the lifting mechanism is made strong enough to hold the boxes up at the center of the press, then the outer end of the press box under the hydraulic ram would necessarily be forced down on the sill and sprung out of shape when the ram is set in operation. To avoid these injuries to the mechanism or the press boxes, it is necessary for the operator always to remember to lower the boxes from their raised position onto the sills.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a lifting mechanism for the press boxes which normally holds the press boxes raised from the sills in position for rotation about the center pivo't rod, but which will yield under pressure applied by the ram to permit the boxes to rest upon the sills without danger of injury to any part of the press.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanism for automatically locking the press boxes in lowered position on the sills, which mechanism must be manually operated to release the boxes from locked position, and which is connected with means for counterbalancing the press boxes and their supporting framework, whereby the lifting thereof is effected automatically.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proneeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cotton press of standard construction, having the present invention applied thereto as a substitute for the hydraulically or manually operated lifts in common use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of the lift mechanism, the scale being enlarged;

the balls B of the bearing.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of part of the mechanism illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of a handle forming part of the lifting mechanism.

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 6--6 of Figure 3; and

Figure 7 is a vertical section, to an enlarged scale, taken on the line 'l--'! of Figure 1. 10

' Referring to the drawings, in which similar parts are designated by like numerals:

In Figure 1 of the drawings, the press boxes I and B are shown as slidably and rotatably mounted on the central pivot rod 9, such as is 15 commonly used in cotton presses, This pivot rod 9 is suitably secured to the sills H! which constitute the base of the press; and at its upper end is screwthreaded into a large nut I! supported on cross beams l2 and [3, which in turn are supported by the press beams I 4 and i5 which constitute part of the fixed framework of the press.

A ball bearing collar I6 is keyed to slide nonrotatably on the pivot rod 9 by means of the set screw I6 having its inner end seated slidably in the key slot l6" formed in the pivot rod 9. The collar l6 forms part of a ball bearing supporting a channel iron I! which extends transversely under the beams I8 (only one of which is shown) forming the upper part of the frameworkof the press boxes 1 and 8. The collar I6 is provided with the usual ball race supporting The cooperating race ring R. of this hearing is suitably secured v, in the channel iron H, which, of course, is provided with an aperture registeringwith the aperture ll of the ring R to permit rotation of the said channel iron'll, and the part fixed thereto, about the axis of the pivot rod 9. a

A pair of lift rods I9 and 2|! are connected at their lower ends to the collar l6 and extend on opposite sides of the rod 9 through the registering apertures in the ring R and channel iron I1 and through apertures 2! and 22, respectively, in the nut II. The upper ends of the rods i9 and 20 are screw threaded to receive the internally screw threaded adjusting sleeves 23 and 24. The upper'ends of the sleeves 23 and 24 pass through apertures suitably formed in a circular 50 plate 25, which is provided with an annular flange 26 adapted to receive the upper end of a compression spring 21. A boss 28, on nut H, forms a means for positioning the lower end of the spring 21 on the said nut. Washers 29 are arrr' ranged on the rod sleeves 23 and 24 between the plate 25 and nuts 30 secured to the upper end of said sleeve. By this arrangement, the sleeves may be adjusted lengthwise of the rods l9 and 20; and the compression of the spring 2'! varied in accordance with the weight of the press boxes and their supporting framework, so as normally to hold said press boxes in position whereby either can be rotated into proper position under the hydraulic ram R.

It is obvious that the compression of the spring 21 may be adjusted so that almost as soon as the ram R, exerts pressure on the cotton in the box immediately beneath it, the press box framework will be forced at once onto the bottom sills l0. However, it is preferable to effect this lowering of the press box framework before setting the ram R in operation. In order to effect the lowering of the press boxes, the rods l9 and 2|] are provided with stops 3| and 32 adjustable to make contact with bifurcated projections 33 and 34 formed on a sleeve 35 which is secured to a rock shaft 36.

The rock shaft 36 is mounted to rotate in bearings 31 and 38 suitably secured to the cross beam I2. The said shaft 36 projects from the bearing 3! to receive the boss 39 of a lever arm 40, which extends lengthwise of the press beam 14. The outer end of the lever arm 40 is connected to the upper end of a turnbuckle rod 4|, which, at its lower end, is pivotally connected to a cross bar 42 extending between the arms 43 and 44 of a handle, designated generally by the reference numeral 45.

The upper ends of the arms 43 and 44 are pivoted to a pivot rod 46 which is supported by the arms 41 and 48 of a bracket '49 which is suitably secured to one of the upright members 50 of the framework of the press. The lower ends of the arms 43 and 44 are connected to a pivot bolt 5|, having a sleeve 52 arranged thereon between the said arms 43 and 44 to form a hand grip for the operator.

As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the arms 43 and 44 of the handle 45 are bent; and the turnbuckle rod 4| is bent near its lower end so that when the press box framework is positioned on the sills of the press, the cross bar 42 and the pivot connecting the arm "40 to the rod 4| are out of alignment with the pivot rod 46. Obviously this arrangement constitutes a toggle which automatically locks the press box framework in its lowered position.

The raising of the press boxes mayobviously be effected merely by a pull on the'han'dle 52. As soon as the toggle lock is broken by pull on the handle 52, the spring 2! raises the framework of the press boxes bodily to permit rotation of said framework on the ball bearing collar I6. It is intended that the compression of the spring 21 be so adjusted as to over-balance the weight of the press boxes and their supporting framework very slightly so that the operator may have to exert very little effort whenever he desires to lower the press boxes manually onto the bottom sills. It will be obvious that if the operator should forget to lower the press boxes manually, the pressure of the ram R on the cotton within the press box immediately below it, will force the entire press box framework onto the sill and will cause such movement of the lever arm 40 and the toggle mechanism connected thereto as to lock the press boxes in their lowered position.

While I have shown the counterbalancing or over-balancing of the press box framework, as effected by an adjustable compression spring, the invention is not to be considered as limited to the particular details of construction illustrated and described herein.

What I claim is:

1. In a cottom press, the combination with a supporting frame having substantially horizontal sills and a pivot rod extending vertically therefrom, of a press box structure mounted to slide and rotate on said rod, means on said frame for normally holding said structure separated from said sills, and a manually operable means pivoted to said frame for moving said structure into contact with said sills and for locking said structure in such contact.

2. In a cotton press, the combination with a supporting frame having substantially horizontal sills and a pivot rod extending vertically therefrom, of a press box structure mounted to slide and rotate on said rod, yielding means adjustable on said frame for moving said structure into a predetermined position separated from and above said sills, and toggle means pivoted to said frame for moving said structure into contact with said sills and for locking the structure in such contact.

3. In a cotton press, the combination with a supporting frame having substantially horizontal sills and a pivot rod extending vertically therefrom, of a press box structure mounted to slide and rotate on said rod, a support connected to said structure and slidable on said rod, a pair of rods connected to said support and extending substantially vertically through said frame,

sleeves adjustable on the upper ends of said rods, a compression spring surrounding said rods, means for varying the compression of said spring in accordance with the weight of said structure to support said structure in a predetermined position separated from said sill, and means for moving said structure into contact with said sills and for locking said structure releasably in said contact.

4. In a cotton press, the combination with a supporting frame having substantially horizontal sills and a pivot rod extending vertically therefrom, of a press box structure mounted to slide and rotate on said rod, a pair of rods connected at their lower ends to said structure and extending substantially vertically through said frame on opposite sides of said pivot rod, a rock shaft mounted to rotate in said frame on a substantially horizontal axis adjacent said pair of "rods,

stops adjustable on said pair of rods, rocker arms extending from said shaft to contact with the upper ends of said stops, yielding means between said frame and rods adjustable to support said structure raised from said sills, a lever fixed to said shaft, and toggle mechanism connected to the free end of said lever for operating said rocker arm to move the structure into contact with said sills.

THADDEUS S. GRIMES. 

